That’s why at thirteen, when she said her foot was sore everyone thought it was just a sports injury.
But after many visits to the GP, and eventually an MRI the day after new year’s, a tumour was discovered. Summer was diagnosed with a rare cancer, called Synovial Sarcoma. This was such a shock to her whole family because she was always so active and was never sick. It was incredibly tough news to deal with, but Summer was so determined, brave and positive about it all and just got on with it, always with a big smile on her face.
In March, Summer went through five and a half weeks of radiation therapy followed by surgery in May to remove the tumour. It has been a really difficult journey and thankfully surgery went well and she is now off her crutches.
It was during one of her visits to the hospital that her oncologist told Summer about Make-A-Wish. Summer told us all about her love of Billie Eilish and her wish to see her in concert. The Wishgranting team jumped straight into planning an unforgettable wish experience for Summer and family.
Summer, her mum, and her two sisters stayed in a two-bedroom suite at the Ashling Hotel. A Billie Eilish hamper was waiting for Summer, full of themed jewellery, perfume, and chocolate covered strawberries that disappeared quickly. A car took them straight to the 3Arena in Dublin, where Summer got to pick out her merch before heading to their seats.
The concert was everything Summer hoped for and more. They all had so much fun singing along. Summer’s only disappointment was that she couldn’t jump around because of her crutches, so she’s determined to go again when she’s feeling better.
“The best part was just watching her because she just had a beam on her face the entire time. She was just absolutely full of joy and singing along and loved it. We were all just buzzing. It was fantastic. The girls had never been to the 3Arena as well, so it was nice new experience. It couldn’t have been beaten. Summer was just so delighted that she went and that was the wish that she had chosen.” – Summer’s mum
